Creatives Making Money with Jamie Jensen

Today, we’re talking about A Star Is Born, the film released just a few weeks ago, directed by Bradley Cooper and also co-starring Lady Gaga.

I know, I know. You’re probably like waitttt a second. WHY is this even a conversation we’re having on Creatives Making Money? MOVIE REVIEWS? IS THAT WHAT WE’RE DOING NOW?

So first of all, this is NOT a movie review. It’s more of an evaluation of the story and a deep look into the various topics it touches on that I feel FULLY relate to creatives.

Now, I love this film, but of course this film isn’t perfect.

All movies have problems, and so does this one.

I’m not going to pretend that it doesn’t.

The purpose of this analysis and discussion isn’t to compare the movie to previous versions of the story.  It’s not to tell you what’s good and bad and nitpick it critically. Again, it’s not a review.

The purpose of this conversation is to talk frankly about the open loops this film leaves in the audience and hopefully help you, as a viewer and creative, spark more conversations in your everyday life and/or our Facebook community on these subjects.

Now, if you haven’t seen the film yet -- there are spoilers galore in this episode.

So just know that! If you wanna listen to this and then go see the film, by all means, do it. But just know you’ll want to experience the film first to get the most out of this episode.

So, as I said all movies have problems.

With A Star Is Born, one of the gifts and “problems” is that as audience members we are being asked to suspend our disbelief within the the very first ten minutes of the movie.

In this case, There is NOTHING traditionally “REALISTIC” ABOUT how this story kicks off.

In the first Act of the film, we meet Lady Gaga’s character (Ally) as she breaks up with a boyfriend and expresses her frustration with the opposite sex. She’s a server. She’s a singer. She’s doing the thing that so many creatives making money can resonate with -- working the money job and writing her music and songs on the side --- because she can’t NOT.

It’s WHO she is.

We also meet Bradley’s character -- Jackson Main -- a beaten down alcoholic musician that’s already achieved his supernova status.

By some complete fluke, driven by his addiction to alcohol, one night after his latest concert Jackson stumbles into the bar where Ally happens to be performing. A drag bar. A place where she’s the only non-drag performer.

And Jackson is immediately taken with her. She becomes his muse. That night, they stay up all night and have a bit of an adventure. But what’s special here isn’t that he meets her and falls for her.

It’s that it all happens so conveniently and seamlessly, but as an audience member -- even though we are going “yeah right” at almost every turn, we’re also 100% ON BOARD.

And for a story like this, you have to be.

WHY? Because this is WISH FULFILLMENT STORY.

Here is Ally. And Ally is us. Ally is every person who’s ever had a dream, a message, a story, a passion, a talent and wished she could simply climb on stage and SHINE that big and bright -- like A STAR.

Ally crawls towards supernova status as her relationship with Jackson evolves.

Now, as a woman watching this, there are some challenges here:

After they sing together, you know 24 hours after they’ve met, I can’t help but ask myself...

Here’s another thing --

When you fall in love with characters, it doesn’t matter how fucked up they are -- to an audience, the more flawed the character, the better. We’ll get back to that later.

As the movie continues, we get swept away in their love story and the wish fulfillment of Ally’s rise to fame -- and we go along for this ride.

But the ride isn’t without bumps. (NO great story would be.)

More and more of Jackson’s backstory and trauma is revealed, as his tinnitis (and drinking) get progressively worse, and as Alli gets to know the man behind the fame more and more -- we see just how REAL their problems are.

We also see and feel their love, the excitement and adventure of the change Ally’s experiencing. Their singing on stage together, writing songs together, co-creating, the beautiful power of it all.

But when we get down to the primal nature of this story and where it HITS us.

It’s about this miracle that anything can happen, at any moment, and totally change your life.

It’s one of the oldest wishes in the book. Our inner child calling out for someone else, God, the Universe, another person to sweep in and change our life. Love us. Believe in us. Lift us out of what we’re doing. Make our dreams come true just because we’re worthy of it.

And aren’t we all worthy of it?

As we go on this journey as an audience member, it can’t help but kick up ANY hidden dreams you might be harboring deep inside.

WHY? Because you can’t witness this type of EXPLOSION of wish fulfillment without examining what it is YOU wish for. If you’re being self-reflexive as an audience member, this is how you can allow stories to serve you.

Here’s what I want you to know… if you watched this movie, and it kicked up the dust of old, long-forgotten dreams, you’re not alone.

Then, we get to the love story.

OH their love story.

There are so very many moments and scenes where we see Ally and Jackson loving each other so purely, so truly, so genuinely, that we don’t care that he’s a raging alcoholic and that she clung to him to lift her out of her existing life. But this isn’t a story about someone discovering Ally and deciding it was a smart business move to sign her. This is a story about Jackson bringing Ally on tour to be with him romantically, and sing with him, and that decision changing the course of her life.

And even though it’s riddled with conflict (I mean, he’s an addict and she’s codependent), it’s tough to look at their love story and not swoon.

This is where we get into shifting gender roles and the question I continue to ask leaving this movie which is whether women get to be superstars and have relationship.

I can’t help but ask this especially off the heels of Lady Gaga’s own stories of losing relationships as she became more and more famous and successful. (If you haven’t seen her documentary 5 foot 2, I highly recommend it.)

Both characters have to balance their careers with their private problems and relationship with one another. And as an audience member, I keep expecting relationship problems to pop up that don’t -- most of the obstacles in this film are dominated by Jackson’s inner world and struggles.

Towards the end of the film, and the end of their relationship, Ally considers cancelling her world tour in order to be with Jackson and care for him. This is after he pees himself on stage while accepts her grammy, because he was messed up on drugs and booze.

But we still love Jackson, and so does Ally. We get glimpses of Jackson off the booze and drugs. Glimpses of who he really is. And we see him hit rock bottom and fight his way to sobriety.

As for me, I’m grateful this story helps us love an addict, but it doesn’t bode well for the future of being an addict.

And, I’ll speak from experience here -- I know MANY artists who are artists because they feel more than others. They feel everything. They have a deep need to speak, create, express.  They can’t manage or function like “everyone else.” I’d say most struggle with anxiety and depression more than others -- and it’s not just the nature of being an artist that comes with that territory.

It’s also the undue pressure and strain of also being in a position of constantly putting one’s work out there over and over and again and again and the vulnerability inherent in that work.

Once you have the audience, you’re then creating for them. What if they don’t like what you’ve created? How will they receive it? Just because a Star is Born doesn’t mean that the struggles are suddenly gone.

Which makes you question the VALUE of your work (and occasionally yourself) altogether.

The film also touches on this topic as a Rock Versus Pop conversation. As Ally rises to a new level of fame, she ventures away from the pure piano and guitar and vocals rock music she creates with Jackson and becomes a POP star. Jackson seems to think that’s not “good enough” or “real” enough. In more than one scene he expresses concern about her authenticity and ultimately de-values her work when she’s up for a Grammy because it’s POP, and not always super “deep.” Earlier in the film, Ally also has a scene where she calls this out during a dance rehearsal, saying “I don’t want to lose the part of me that’s talented.”

Do we lose the parts of ourselves that are authentic and talented in the interest of commercial success?

THIS is one of those questions that we’ll always ask as we create and make money.

What IS the right balance between selling out and genuinely creating, purely, not for financial gain or commercial success? Does that type of art even exist?

And then there’s their parents.

We learn that Jackson didn’t have a father who was present and available and healthy and cared for him. His mother died in childbirth. He was largely on his own, learning nothing but that he wasn’t loved unconditionally by anyone except his brother -- from what we know.

Ally had a strong father figure. Perhaps this is part of why she’s got a different emotional foundation, a toughness, a street smart, take-no-shit attitude that allows her to do things like punch a cop in the face at an after hours bar and think nothing of it. In many ways, she’s the protector of Jackson who’s never had a parent to do that job before.

And regardless of the WHYs of the parenting backgrounds each of these characters faced in their histories, we are still left with this resounding call-out around men and mental health. Particularly creative men and mental health.

Which anchors this story in it’s ultimate what I’ll call “resting place:” love and loss.

Watching this film, and Jackson’s journey, I couldn’t help but think about other recent suicides of people we’d consider “Stars”, such as Chris Cornell, Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade…

Jackson is a tragic hero.

He chooses to die so Ally can rise.

He chooses to die because he’s depressed and considers himself broken.

He also chooses to die because Ally loves him too much to leave on her own.

But that doesn’t make the pain any less significant.

Films that end this way leave us with all kinds of loose ends to process.

We wonder...

Did Jackson need to die so Ally could rise?

It’s a movie, so in the context of what makes a tragic hero, yes.

But in the context of thinking about all of the people in your life who might suffer from mental illness, depression, anxiety, addiction -- no.

They DO need to seek help and get help.

This film is uniquely special in that it’s the type of project that doesn’t come around often.

It’s rare that films of this type and size get the greenlight. It’s a special moment in a career like Bradley Cooper’s to get this opportunity -- and to slam dunk it.

And I mean that across the board. The music, the directing, the story itself, the ability to cast Lady Gaga exactly at this moment of her career where she’s already a supernova and is shifting how she shows up as an artist, stripped down, raw, vulnerable, naked.

I appreciate this film so much because it’s the type of project that doesn’t happen often AND it touches on all of this subjects so impactfully. It has a multi-media component as a musical and the music tells the story almost if not just as much as the film does. So as a musical, it’s on another level.

But the movie also leaves you in a state of grief, with a lot to process on, like…

My favorite scene in the film is the scene where Ally and Jackson’s brother Bobby are speaking after Jackson’s death.

In that scene, Bobby says “Jack talked about how music is essentially 12 notes between any octave, 12 notes and the octave repeats. It’s the same story told over and over, forever. All any artist can offer the world is how they see those 12 notes. That’s it.”

And I believe that to be true. Life is life. Story is story. It’s 12 notes. It’s the human condition. It’s the struggle of being an infinite soul with an infinite imagination, living in a mortal body. It’s knowing you’re going to die. It’s loving and losing. It’s facing the time you have on this planet and making choices every day about what to do with that time. How you’re going to spend it well, and wisely and truthfully. What you’re going to create that you feel matters -- your legacy.

All of that is a lot. Especially if you’re struggling with mental health issues too.

Here’s what I want you to remember if you’re a creative and life feels hard today or just some of the days -- because I know there are some days you might feel like an Ally before Jack, some days you’ll feel like Ally after Jack, and some other, darker days you might feel like a Jackson -- remember that help is available to you.

You are loved. You are supported. You are valued.

You can reach out to a friend, to a call center, to a therapist, to a support group.

You have options. DON’T try to walk this path alone. You have a tribe available to you.

This is a big reason I created a community along with this podcast.

I’d love for you to think about and journal on these questions, and feel free to share what you discover in the group.

Today, we’re talking about A Star Is Born, the film released just a few weeks ago, directed by Bradley Cooper and also co-starring Lady Gaga.

I know, I know. You’re probably like waitttt a second. WHY is this even a conversation we’re having on Creatives Making Money? MOVIE REVIEWS? IS THAT WHAT WE’RE DOING NOW?

So first of all, this is NOT a movie review. It’s more of an evaluation of the story and a deep look into the various topics it touches on that I feel FULLY relate to creatives.

Now, I love this film, but of course this film isn’t perfect.

All movies have problems, and so does this one.

I’m not going to pretend that it doesn’t.

The purpose of this analysis and discussion isn’t to compare the movie to previous versions of the story.  It’s not to tell you what’s good and bad and nitpick it critically. Again, it’s not a review.

The purpose of this conversation is to talk frankly about the open loops this film leaves in the audience and hopefully help you, as a viewer and creative, spark more conversations in your everyday life and/or our Facebook community on these subjects.

Now, if you haven’t seen the film yet -- there are spoilers galore in this episode.

So just know that! If you wanna listen to this and then go see the film, by all means, do it. But just know you’ll want to experience the film first to get the most out of this episode.

So, as I said all movies have problems.

With A Star Is Born, one of the gifts and “problems” is that as audience members we are being asked to suspend our disbelief within the the very first ten minutes of the movie.

Now this is true for a lot of movies. Movies create a world different from our own, and when you decide to participate you are agreeing to be IN the world of the move, which operates by its own set of rules.

In this case, There is NOTHING traditionally “REALISTIC” ABOUT how this story kicks off.

In the first Act of the film, we meet Lady Gaga’s character (Ally) as she breaks up with a boyfriend and expresses her frustration with the opposite sex. She’s a server. She’s a singer. She’s doing the thing that so many creatives making money can resonate with -- working the money job and writing her music and songs on the side --- because she can’t NOT.

It’s WHO she is.

We also meet Bradley’s character -- Jackson Main -- a beaten down alcoholic musician that’s already achieved his supernova status.

By some complete fluke, driven by his addiction to alcohol, one night after his latest concert Jackson stumbles into the bar where Ally happens to be performing. A drag bar. A place where she’s the only non-drag performer.

And Jackson is immediately taken with her. She becomes his muse. That night, they stay up all night and have a bit of an adventure. But what’s special here isn’t that he meets her and falls for her.

It’s that it all happens so conveniently and seamlessly, but as an audience member -- even though we are going “yeah right” at almost every turn, we’re also 100% ON BOARD.

And for a story like this, you have to be.

WHY? Because this is WISH FULFILLMENT STORY.

Here is Ally. And Ally is us. Ally is every person who’s ever had a dream, a message, a story, a passion, a talent and wished she could simply climb on stage and SHINE that big and bright -- like A STAR.

Ally crawls towards supernova status as her relationship with Jackson evolves.

Now, as a woman watching this, there are some challenges here:

After they sing together, you know 24 hours after they’ve met, I can’t help but ask myself...

• Is she really sleeping with him already? Does she want to?

Here’s another thing --

When you fall in love with characters, it doesn’t matter how fucked up they are -- to an audience, the more flawed the character, the better. We’ll get back to that later.

As the movie continues, we get swept away in their love story and the wish fulfillment of Ally’s rise to fame -- and we go along for this ride.

But the ride isn’t without bumps. (NO great story would be.)

More and more of Jackson’s backstory and trauma is revealed, as his tinnitis (and drinking) get progressively worse, and as Alli gets to know the man behind the fame more and more -- we see just how REAL their problems are.

We also see and feel their love, the excitement and adventure of the change Ally’s experiencing. Their singing on stage together, writing songs together, co-creating, the beautiful power of it all.

But when we get down to the primal nature of this story and where it HITS us.

It’s about this miracle that anything can happen, at any moment, and totally change your life.

One minute Ally’s a server and the next she’s touring and shining her light -- a change she seems to so distinctly underline in her crooning of the signature song Shallow when she says “In all the good times, I find myself longing for change” a change so many of us can relate to desiring.

It’s one of the oldest wishes in the book. Our inner child calling out for someone else, God, the Universe, another person to sweep in and change our life. Love us. Believe in us. Lift us out of what we’re doing. Make our dreams come true just because we’re worthy of it.

And aren’t we all worthy of it?

As we go on this journey as an audience member, it can’t help but kick up ANY hidden dreams you might be harboring deep inside.

WHY? Because you can’t witness this type of EXPLOSION of wish fulfillment without examining what it is YOU wish for. If you’re being self-reflexive as an audience member, this is how you can allow stories to serve you.

Here’s what I want you to know… if you watched this movie, and it kicked up the dust of old, long-forgotten dreams, you’re not alone.

Then, we get to the love story.

OH their love story.

There are so very many moments and scenes where we see Ally and Jackson loving each other so purely, so truly, so genuinely, that we don’t care that he’s a raging alcoholic and that she clung to him to lift her out of her existing life. But this isn’t a story about someone discovering Ally and deciding it was a smart business move to sign her. This is a story about Jackson bringing Ally on tour to be with him romantically, and sing with him, and that decision changing the course of her life.

And even though it’s riddled with conflict (I mean, he’s an addict and she’s codependent), it’s tough to look at their love story and not swoon.

Because through all of that, their love is so sweet and enduring that we can’t even judge it. We especially can’t judge it because it’s absolutely HUMAN to be either or both of those things. I don’t know one person who hasn’t been in a relationship at some point that didn’t somehow reflect what Jackson and Ally face.

This is where we get into shifting gender roles and the question I continue to ask leaving this movie which is whether women get to be superstars and have relationship.

I can’t help but ask this especially off the heels of Lady Gaga’s own stories of losing relationships as she became more and more famous and successful. (If you haven’t seen her documentary 5 foot 2, I highly recommend it.)

Both characters have to balance their careers with their private problems and relationship with one another. And as an audience member, I keep expecting relationship problems to pop up that don’t -- most of the obstacles in this film are dominated by Jackson’s inner world and struggles.

Towards the end of the film, and the end of their relationship, Ally considers cancelling her world tour in order to be with Jackson and care for him. This is after he pees himself on stage while accepts her grammy, because he was messed up on drugs and booze.

But we still love Jackson, and so does Ally. We get glimpses of Jackson off the booze and drugs. Glimpses of who he really is. And we see him hit rock bottom and fight his way to sobriety.

As for me, I’m grateful this story helps us love an addict, but it doesn’t bode well for the future of being an addict.

And, I’ll speak from experience here -- I know MANY artists who are artists because they feel more than others. They feel everything. They have a deep need to speak, create, express.  They can’t manage or function like “everyone else.” I’d say most struggle with anxiety and depression more than others -- and it’s not just the nature of being an artist that comes with that territory.

It’s also the undue pressure and strain of also being in a position of constantly putting one’s work out there over and over and again and again and the vulnerability inherent in that work.

Once you have the audience, you’re then creating for them. What if they don’t like what you’ve created? How will they receive it? Just because a Star is Born doesn’t mean that the struggles are suddenly gone.

Which makes you question the VALUE of your work (and occasionally yourself) altogether.

The film also touches on this topic as a Rock Versus Pop conversation. As Ally rises to a new level of fame, she ventures away from the pure piano and guitar and vocals rock music she creates with Jackson and becomes a POP star. Jackson seems to think that’s not “good enough” or “real” enough. In more than one scene he expresses concern about her authenticity and ultimately de-values her work when she’s up for a Grammy because it’s POP, and not always super “deep.” Earlier in the film, Ally also has a scene where she calls this out during a dance rehearsal, saying “I don’t want to lose the part of me that’s talented.”

Do we lose the parts of ourselves that are authentic and talented in the interest of commercial success?

THIS is one of those questions that we’ll always ask as we create and make money.

What IS the right balance between selling out and genuinely creating, purely, not for financial gain or commercial success? Does that type of art even exist?

And then there’s their parents.

We learn that Jackson didn’t have a father who was present and available and healthy and cared for him. His mother died in childbirth. He was largely on his own, learning nothing but that he wasn’t loved unconditionally by anyone except his brother -- from what we know.

Ally had a strong father figure. Perhaps this is part of why she’s got a different emotional foundation, a toughness, a street smart, take-no-shit attitude that allows her to do things like punch a cop in the face at an after hours bar and think nothing of it. In many ways, she’s the protector of Jackson who’s never had a parent to do that job before.

And regardless of the WHYs of the parenting backgrounds each of these characters faced in their histories, we are still left with this resounding call-out around men and mental health. Particularly creative men and mental health.

Which anchors this story in it’s ultimate what I’ll call “resting place:” love and loss.

Watching this film, and Jackson’s journey, I couldn’t help but think about other recent suicides of people we’d consider “Stars”, such as Chris Cornell, Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade…

Jackson is a tragic hero.

He chooses to die so Ally can rise.

He chooses to die because he’s depressed and considers himself broken.

He also chooses to die because Ally loves him too much to leave on her own.

But that doesn’t make the pain any less significant.

Films that end this way leave us with all kinds of loose ends to process.

We wonder...

Did Jackson need to die so Ally could rise?

It’s a movie, so in the context of what makes a tragic hero, yes.

But in the context of thinking about all of the people in your life who might suffer from mental illness, depression, anxiety, addiction -- no.

They DO need to seek help and get help.

This film is uniquely special in that it’s the type of project that doesn’t come around often.

It’s rare that films of this type and size get the greenlight. It’s a special moment in a career like Bradley Cooper’s to get this opportunity -- and to slam dunk it.

And I mean that across the board. The music, the directing, the story itself, the ability to cast Lady Gaga exactly at this moment of her career where she’s already a supernova and is shifting how she shows up as an artist, stripped down, raw, vulnerable, naked.

I appreciate this film so much because it’s the type of project that doesn’t happen often AND it touches on all of this subjects so impactfully. It has a multi-media component as a musical and the music tells the story almost if not just as much as the film does. So as a musical, it’s on another level.

But the movie also leaves you in a state of grief, with a lot to process on, like…

• Your dreams and wishes
• Your love life
• Your relationship with addiction and mental health
• Men and women -- and their unique challenges in the world
• Being an artist and the challenges that come with that
• Selling out versus being REAL
• Loss and grief

My favorite scene in the film is the scene where Ally and Jackson’s brother Bobby are speaking after Jackson’s death.

In that scene, Bobby says “Jack talked about how music is essentially 12 notes between any octave, 12 notes and the octave repeats. It’s the same story told over and over, forever. All any artist can offer the world is how they see those 12 notes. That’s it.”

And I believe that to be true. Life is life. Story is story. It’s 12 notes. It’s the human condition. It’s the struggle of being an infinite soul with an infinite imagination, living in a mortal body. It’s knowing you’re going to die. It’s loving and losing. It’s facing the time you have on this planet and making choices every day about what to do with that time. How you’re going to spend it well, and wisely and truthfully. What you’re going to create that you feel matters -- your legacy.

All of that is a lot. Especially if you’re struggling with mental health issues too.

Here’s what I want you to remember if you’re a creative and life feels hard today or just some of the days -- because I know there are some days you might feel like an Ally before Jack, some days you’ll feel like Ally after Jack, and some other, darker days you might feel like a Jackson -- remember that help is available to you.

You are loved. You are supported. You are valued.

You can reach out to a friend, to a call center, to a therapist, to a support group.

You have options. DON’T try to walk this path alone. You have a tribe available to you.

This is a big reason I created a community along with this podcast.

Now, I have some action steps for you that I’ll be sharing NOW -- because I’m not doing an afterparty this week. Some questions I’d love for you to think about and journal on, and feel free to share what you discover in the group.

• Your dreams and wishes -- what do you want, really? If you could have life any way you wanted, what would you wish for?

• Your love life -- What do you believe about love and relationship now? How is that showing up, or not?

• Your relationship with addiction and mental health -- Is this something you, or someone you love, struggles with? What can you do today to help someone who needs support (maybe it’s you). Choose to walk this path with compassion and self-belief.

• Men and women -- and their unique challenges in the world -- What’s your feeling about gender roles and dynamics? What do you have to face that’s unique to your gender, or your gender identity? How can you share that with others and provide and receive support?

• Parents - how did your parents help or hinder your choices to be yourself, express yourself, and go for your dreams?

• Being an artist and the challenges that come with that -- Are you creating the way you want to be? Why or why not?

• Do you feel like a sell-out right now? Why or why not?

• Loss and grief -- Is there someone or something you’re grieving right now? How can you create space for grief and let yourself truly and fully process the loss?

I’d love for you to think about and journal on these questions, and feel free to share what you discover in the group.

This was one of my favorite episodes to date because Jason held NOTHING back. What an incredibly valuable conversation about ALL THINGS MONEY. I truly hope you learned a TON from listening to Jason walk us through his key tips on managing your business money so you actually get to keep more of what you earn.

The biggest takeaway for ME was this (shameless) idea that at the crux of every businesses’ purpose is PROFIT.

As Jason said “PROFIT GIVES US CHOICES.”

With a higher profit margin, you get to expand your offerings, give back to society, donate money to good causes, and even create a bonus structure for yourself and/or your employees (if that’s where you are in business).

My favorite thing is that Jason doesn’t give us a complicated structure. He keeps things simple and boils down profit strategy into three key areas.

The three areas Jason recommends EVERY business owner focus on?

1. SALES
2. MARGINS
3. OVERHEAD

BOOM. I’d recommend taking stock of where you fall in all three areas, even if you consider yourself a “freelancer” and not an “entrepreneur” and see what you discover.

We also talked about how the online arena opens up more opportunities for profit for freelancers and creatives, and how it’s imperative to decide what YOU want and are committed to.

Are you committed to being a business, or are you committed to being a hired hand?

There is no wrong answer, but get clear on which you are/what you’re created and behave accordingly!

And my FAVORITE reminder?

Revenue and sales is not everything.

So the next time you see someone claiming 7 or 8-figures, don’t worry that you’re not doing “well” enough. There’s a good chance you have a higher profit margin than the entrepreneur who’s made 7 figures in revenue over the last year!

Remember, if you have a product that loses money, selling more will only make you less money. Selling more doesn’t necessarily mean more profit. Commercially, it’s about the profit, it’s not about the revenue.

Remember Jason’s sage advice:

Sales is vanity.

Profit is sanity.

And don’t forget to go follow Jason A.S.A.P. →

https://jasonawithers.com

@jasonawithers

@jasonawithers

www.facebook.com/JasonAWithers

I simply adore Allison Braun and everything she puts out in the world. Her work has truly changed my life, and it’s 100% one of those things that you could easily think to yourself “OH, I don’t really need that” -- but trust me, YA DO.

Now if you’re not yet convinced from our magical interview, take my trusty word for it.

YA WANNA FOLLOW HER, Y’ALL. Gobble up her free content. Invest in her programs. You won’t regret it.

Now, here’s a fun recap of our convo in case you want to review the highlight reel and some items we mentioned!

1. Having a pretty blue safe was something that taught Allison to keep and have fun with her money at just 6-years-old. For you parents in the audience, this might be a great way to teach your kids to take care of and value their money!
2. Remember, if you feel like you were never included in the conversation about money, or like it’s a taboo topic to cover with people in your life -- it’s up to YOU to take that initiative and break the mold. As Allison said, “No one will approach you and ask you to participate…” You’ve gotta take that initiative yourself.
3. Allison mentioned being a “Projector” according to Human Design. Wanna learn more about Human Design? You can get a chart and report at humandesignamerica.com!
4. When you’re working on your relationship with money, and making it less serious and more fun, literally ask yourself “What would make this more fun?” As money is one of the biggest causes of STRESS, we want to create more joy and ease around the subject so that you stress less and feel better (plus it’s good for your health!).
5. What IS the LIVING RICHLY FRAMEWORK? It’s a process that walks you through looking at where you’re fully expressing yourself in your life (or not), researching and redefining what success means to you, creating a new identity that you can integrate and inhabit around what you discover, and remembering to fully receive and appreciate all you already have.
6. Jotting down 10 things you’re grateful for every day is WONDERFUL, but it’s way better when you’re also giving yourself the space and breathing room to truly FEEL IT.
7. If you’re feeling BROKE AF, here’s what to do: 1. Remember you’re not alone. 2. Look at where you are already RICH. 3. Make a list of the things that make you feel rich, and find a way to do the items that you have easy, available access to! Not all the things that make you feel rich actually cost money. :)Some of my favorite BIG takeaways…

We’re always creating identities for ourselves as we’re doing life in the world. It’s important to stay conscious of what identities we’re creating so we make sure they’re expanding our sense of self instead of limiting it.

Being creative is about MORE than being an artist, just like living richly is about more than what’s in your bank account.

Ease is undervalued in our society because we tend to glorify “hard work” and being BUSY. So it takes some extra work to really allow ourselves to do things the easy way.

YAY! And here’s where to soak up all that Allison Braun Goodness!

Open For Business Training: bit.ly/openforbizvid

What If Money Was Easy? (Free Guide):  bit.ly/soulmoney

http://www.allisonbraun.com

Instagram: @allisonbraun

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllisonBraunTheJoyologist

Chatting with the incredible Michelle Bobrow of The Holistic Wallet on all things personal finance and money management.

Michelle is a true personal finance expert, and she’s exceptionally skilled at helping us creative types carve our own money path with unique budgeting, debt repayment, and income management. She offers DIY programs through her Holistic Wealth School [add aff link here] and coaches creatively-minded women on mastering great financial habits.

Her mission -- to help creative women fund the lives they want without that nagging budget getting in the way!

We touch on some incredible topics around money mindset and management, like…

• How to tell if you’re “financially well” or financially sick (uh oh!)

• Her fave ways to pay off debt without going nuts

• How to think about debt so you don’t feel like it’s crushing you and your soul

• The various money styles we all have, and how to get clear on yours before making big financial decisions

• Why Michelle left the security of corporate finance to pursue her own thing

Plus, we also cover some fun things like…

• WTF is a “J-pipe?”

• How many financial terms sound like an ancient language (does.not.compute.)

• Why Michelle “got promoted because she was bored” < I shit you not, those words were spoken

• Making sure you create a give-back strategy that’s aligned with your goals and interests

If you haven’t listened yet, tune in here [link here] and if you love Michelle as much as I do, make sure you give her a follow and check out her incredible programs below --

Learn more about Michelle at https://www.theholisticwallet.com.

Check out Holistic Wealth School here [insert aff link here for Holistic Wealth School].

Follow Michelle on Instagram or Twitter @holisticwallet or on Facebook right here.

Create like you mean it,

Jamie

Suzanne Paulinski (aka The Rock/Star Advocate) helps musicians take charge of their careers to create the life they really want with both mindset and practical support. And she is brilliant.

Some of my favorite highlights from this week…

1. Workaholism. It’s a thing! As two New Yorkers, we jammed on the culture of living in the “city that never sleeps” and how easy it is to get sucked into a habit of work, work, work, work, work, work. (And not enough sleep.) So many artists take on this “do or die” attitude of proving how much they want something by working their asses off -- which can be great -- and it can also be counterproductive and wildly unhealthy. Suz herself had to get Lyme disease to force her hand on slowing down and implementing more mindful strategies to her own entrepreneurship and life. I highly recommend checking out Suz’ book The Rock/Star Life Planner for help creating sustainable balance in your schedule.
2. Music-preneurship. This is Suz’ word for her clients, and it’s part of her mission to really empower musicians to make strong business decisions as the “CEO” of their career and life! I can’t wait for her next book on this topic. If you’re a musician, musical artist, or music-preneur, you should totally go listen and subscribe to Suz’ podcast The Music-preneur Podcast right here. 
3. Success is not a straight line. Suz had a few businesses that failed miserably before she landed on this one. And this was the FIRST year in her business that she paid herself a real salary!
4. “I’m not in it for the money.” = a common thing that artists and “lovers” of music, film, and television will claim about their devotion to the craft. But let’s be real, we need money to survive and to create so let’s all stop pretending that we need to be “in it” for the money in order to earn good money by using our gifts.
5. “There’s more where that came from.” Continuing to crack that scarcity mindset and the belief that money is FINITE instead UNLIMITED is hugely important as an artist and entrepreneur.

You absolutely CAN care about arts & entertainment AND money and strike the balance in your life that feels good. It might not happen tomorrow. It might not happen right away, but it will happen.

Until then, keep listening and follow Suz for more golden nuggets. :)

Create like you mean it,

Jamie

Cory Huff (literally) wrote the book on how to sell your art online. He’s masterful at helping artists earn money from their work with online sales and building a solid business out of their creative work. He’s also an actor, director, and author -- so interviewing him was like starting 1000 conversations that I could continue for the rest of my life…

That being said, WE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND HERE.

Some of my favorite tidbits include...

• The importance of MINDSET work as an artist, and the great news that there are nearly unlimited resources available to support you with that! Some choice resources we mentioned:

• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron - This book is one of my all-time favorites and I consider it required reading for all creatives. GET IT!

• The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks - Another must-read for anyone who is working on advancing themselves in life, and this includes living a wildly creative life.

• Mindset by

• The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer - Amanda sounds like my kind of lady, and I’m excited to add this one to my personal reading list too!

• Where the “starving artist” myth comes from (Hint: it started in 17th century Paris). Cory mentioned this book A Day In The Life Of A Bohemian that inspired the opera La Boheme and the play Rent.

• How we artists require space and room to create -- and that INCLUDES the financial resources. If you take anything away from this episode, let it be this: DON’T BE AFRAID TO SET INTENTIONS AROUND WHAT YOU NEED; AND THEN GO ASK FOR IT.

• What do artists and entrepreneurs have in common?

• The need to CREATE

• The need to be INDEPENDENT

• The struggle of the INFORMATION BUBBLE and getting stuck in cyclical, “cult thinking” instead of seeking diverse opinions.

• Cory’s sage advice to seek out and read content from voices that you disagree with.  

• The idea that being a creative means generating more than you consume, and that setting boundaries around your work and not switching context too often can help you get into a flow state and stay there. (Another book recommendation here: DEEP WORK by Cal Newport).

• And Cory promised us pictures of him performing Shakespeare -- HERE THEY ARE.

Off the record, he also told me about his hot cocoa machine called the CocoMotion. Needless to say, I’m impressed and may have to buy one for myself! I also think it’s important to call attention to the fact that Cory ran The Abundant Artist for FIVE years before making it his full-time thing. FIVE YEARS. Let that sink in. We are so obsessed with overnight success stories, but time and time again I think it’s important to acknowledge the TRUE STORY of how someone successful left a “day job” to pursue a more independent and creative lifestyle. GO CORY. And go YOU.

The ultimate point? Cory is incredible and has SO much value to offer all creatives and entrepreneurs, so I recommend you go follow him immediately -

http://coryhuff.com

http://theabundantartist.com

Twitter: agoodhusband

Instagram: @theabundantartist

Facebook: facebook.com/coryhuff

Create like you mean it,

Jamie

Today’s episode took some surprising turns and I’m proud of our guest Hillary for going there with me.

Hillary and I went even deeper than I expected -- we talked about money stories, trusting yourself with money, working HARD for the money (*so hard for it, honey…), and so many other incredible and highly valuable topics for any working creative professional.

For one thing, Hillary said it took 4 years for her to graduate from imposter syndrome.

4 YEARS.

She was slightly kidding, but she also wasn’t -- and this is something I totally identify with too. I still have fleeting moments of feeling like a fraud when I talk about money because I’m not some kind of billionaire (yet). But her experiences are so relatable.

Like when Hillary shared what she called her “Protestant Work Ethic” believing that she had to exhaust herself and work ‘round the clock in order to “earn” every penny.

That shit is so real and exemplifies one of the biggest myths about making money that I want to bust up RIGHT NOW:

MAKING MONEY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE HARD. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PAINFUL. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE BRUTAL, EXHAUST YOU, OR TEAR OR WEAR YOU DOWN.

And FYI, Hillary’s business DOES NOT fall apart because she decides to travel, or take a few days off, or chill for an afternoon, etc.

Remember, her parting words: Be mindful of the way you work and what’s NOT working for you NOW. Don’t wait until you’re in the hospital because you burned yourself out.

Some other things we mentioned on the show:

• The lovely and amazing Alexandra Franzen, who helped Hillary get her start in copywriting.

• Different ways of selling service-based work: by hour, by package, by day, by week, or by retainer.

• The concept of selling VALUE and not TIME. If your $2,000 sales page makes someone $1.5 Million -- then it’s probably high time you raise your rates for a sales page.

• KPI = Key Performance Indicator. A metric or measurable way of evaluating your progress or performance in any particular area.

• How our parents impact our attitude towards money, for better or worse.

• Why being a millennial can make us work harder to prove we’re not “entitled” and also because there are a lot of things that are systematically harder for us than our parents.

Finally, here is a marching band Hillary can hire when she receives that $5 million. ;) #bestanswerever

IF YOU’RE NOT IN LOVE WITH HILLARY AND ALL OF HER SAGE WISDOM, ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN?

Go follow, like, and check her out here:

http://www.hillaryweiss.com

Twitter: hcweiss

Instagram: hcweiss

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theweissness

This episode is especially close to my heart because Nechelle is one of the most relatable and intelligent women I know.

Her story of pushing herself forward in life financially and professionally as a single mom is nothing short of amazing, and there are hundreds of thousands of women doing it every day. WOMEN ARE AMAZING. :)

We also got to touch on differing money mindsets based on not just generation but also culture, which I find fascinating.

Some incredible things we covered…

• Nechelle was up to $150K in debt and paid it all off.

• She managed to work TWO jobs and go back to school and raise a son as a single mom. BASICALLY SHE IS MY HERO.

• How we live in a “throwaway society” (love that term) where we’re so abundant with consumer products and trading quality for cost that it’s often more expensive to buy new things than it is to fix our existing things. CRAY.

• Buying decisions -- like when do we decide to just go with the slightly cheaper option?

• What women really need to understand about their finances, like how to:

• • Save up for major investments
  • Manage their cash-flow
  • Strategize for the long-term and their big picture (a.k.a. The VISION Board)
  • Quantify their dreams and desires in numbers on paper
• How focusing too much on PASSION and not enough on BUSINESS can result in creating an entity that is financially inconsistent.

• How love solves all problems, but you still have to quantify your cash-flow needs. ;)

• Why going to the bank as a ritual with her father taught Nechelle to treasure money and truly respect it and take care of it.

Remember, your first step in any financial plan should always be your vision.

In the meantime you can always check out Nechelle’s REVENUE calculator here: moneybasics.ca/revcalculator.

And make sure to stalk her for more brilliance on Instagram: @moneybasics

This episode is especially close to my heart because Nechelle is one of the most relatable and intelligent women I know.

Her story of pushing herself forward in life financially and professionally as a single mom is nothing short of amazing, and there are hundreds of thousands of women doing it every day. WOMEN ARE AMAZING. :)

We also got to touch on differing money mindsets based on not just generation but also culture, which I find fascinating.

Some incredible things we covered…

• Nechelle was up to $150K in debt and paid it all off.

• She managed to work TWO jobs and go back to school and raise a son as a single mom. BASICALLY SHE IS MY HERO.

• How we live in a “throwaway society” (love that term) where we’re so abundant with consumer products and trading quality for cost that it’s often more expensive to buy new things than it is to fix our existing things. CRAY.

• Buying decisions -- like when do we decide to just go with the slightly cheaper option?

• What women really need to understand about their finances, like how to:

• • Save up for major investments
  • Manage their cash-flow
  • Strategize for the long-term and their big picture (a.k.a. The VISION Board)
  • Quantify their dreams and desires in numbers on paper
• How focusing too much on PASSION and not enough on BUSINESS can result in creating an entity that is financially inconsistent.

• How love solves all problems, but you still have to quantify your cash-flow needs. ;)

• Why going to the bank as a ritual with her father taught Nechelle to treasure money and truly respect it and take care of it.

Remember, your first step in any financial plan should always be your vision.

In the meantime you can always check out Nechelle’s REVENUE calculator here: moneybasics.ca/revcalculator.

And make sure to stalk her for more brilliance on Instagram: @moneybasics